Faeries in My House

Happy Anniversary to Us! :)

2011-12-31T10:56:00.002-06:00

*Disclaimer - this photo is 6 years old. Something to work on in 2012? I think so!!

Today is our 8 year anniversary! We exchanged gifts a few moments ago and will have lunch at Friday's later. I'm feeling kinda like a bum because I think my gift from DH is way more awesome than what I got for him.

My gift to him:
a bronze picture frame w/ a picture of us shortly after we got together
The Hangover, unrated
The Hangover 2

What he got for me:
a clay pot with pretty blue glaze on the outside of it
DH Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix
Ghirardelli Ultimate Fudge Brownie Mix
Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa
Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Syrup
Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Lindt Lindor Extra Dark Chocolate Truffles
Hershey's Bliss - Dark Chocolate
Hershey's Kisses - Special Dark
M&Ms - Dark Chocolate
Dove Promises - Dark Chocolate
Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Hershey's Giant Bar - Special Dark
Ghirardelli - Twilight Delight (72% Cacao)
Ghirardelli - Midnight Reverie (86% Cacao)
Ghirardelli - 100% cacao Baking Bar
Green & Black's Organic 70% Dark Chocolate
Green & Black's Organic 85% Dark Chocolate
a kindle keyboard that's enroute

...now I'm off to watch his new movies. :)

Meal Plan Monday - 12/12/11

2011-12-12T16:29:00.002-06:00

We didn't try any new recipes last week, so I've nothing that "worked" last week. :) I did, however, use our favorite fried chicken recipe. I stumbled upon it years ago, and while I occasionally try a new one I've yet to find one to replace it. I'll post it at the end.

Breakfast:
Mon - Apple Fritter Bread, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Tue - cereal, milk, boiled egg, fruit
Wed - pancakes, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Thu - cereal, milk, nuts, fruit
Fri - poptart, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Sat - Apple Brown Sugar Baked Oatmeal, milk, nuts, fruit
Sun - Sausage Balls, eggs

Lunch:
Sat - oops...I didn't plan anything!
Sun - leftovers

Snack:
Mon - home made cereal bar, milk, nuts, fruit
Tue - Apple Fritter Bread, string cheese, nuts, fruit
Wed - crackers, milk, nuts, fruit
Thu - graham crackers, string cheese, peanut butter, fruit
Fri - Eye-Poppin' Popcorn, yogurt, peanut butter. fruit
Sat - 1/2 sandwich
Sun - fruit

Dinner:
Mon - Garlic Chicken Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad
Tue - Honey Chicken, Stuffed Potatoes, 2 veggies, Homemade Bread
Wed - Chimichangas, Refried Beans, Spanish Rice
Thu - Chicken Nuggets, 2 veggies, potatoes
Fri - Deep Dish Pizza
Sat - Cheddar Cracker Chicken, Bacon Tomato Pie, Salad
Sun - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, 2 veggies, rolls

For more meal plan ideas, check out OrgJunkie!

Fried Chicken

1 # chicken, cut into pieces

Bowl 1:
1.5 c flour
1 Tbsp garlic salt
1.5 tsp pepper
1.5 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

Bowl 2:
2/3 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 beaten egg yolk
3/4 c water

Heat deep fryer to 350. Combine ingredients in Bowl 1. Combine ingredients in Bowl 2. Dip chicken pieces in bowl 1, then bowl 2, then back to bowl 1. Deep fry 7-15 minutes, depending on size of pieces. Drain on paper.

Can you imagine spending less than $250/month on groceries for your family?

2011-12-08T22:36:00.001-06:00

I can't. I'm sure gonna try, though!

I found the "2012 Guide to Groceries Under $250 a Month" on Pinterest, and I fully intend to check it out. You should, too!

Meal Plan Monday - 12/5/11

2011-12-05T02:00:00.000-06:00

Last week, I started going through cookbooks. I have all these books, and what do I usually use? The internet. :p At any rate, I'm working on just a few books at a time, and posting links to those recipes I can find online. Notice last week's books were "Taste of Home" and "Disney Magic Kitchen".

What worked the last two weeks:
Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread - cinnamon bread loaf, without the frosting
Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Olive Garden Bread Sticks - they did not taste the same, but were still delicious
Baked Fried Chicken
Buttermilk Chicken Strips - these were good, but I still like my regular fried chicken recipe the best
Mozzarella Puffs
Taco Chicken Rolls
Fried Cinnamon Strips - so good
Pull-Apart Bacon Bread
Cheesy Ranch Potato Bake - big, huge, giant hit
Breaded Ranch Chicken
"Don't Forget Breakfast Cookies" (recipe below) - a huge hit; what kid DOESN'T want to eat a cookie for breakfast?
"Disappearing Chocolate Chip Cookies" (recipe below) - another huge hit, and SO soft

Breakfast:
Mon - Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Tue - cereal, milk, boiled egg, fruit
Wed - waffles, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Thu - cereal, milk, nuts, fruit
Fri - poptart, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Sat - oatmeal, milk, nuts, fruit
Sun - pancakes, bacon, eggs

Lunch:
Sat - sloppy joe, fries, fruit
Sun - leftovers

Snack:

Mon - cereal bar, milk, nuts, fruit
Tue - Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread, string cheese, nuts, fruit
Wed - crackers, milk, nuts, fruit
Thu - graham crackers, string cheese, peanut butter, fruit
Fri - Eye-Poppin' Popcorn, yogurt, peanut butter fruit
Sat - 1/2 sandwich
Sun - fruit

Dinner:

Mon - parmesan chicken, noodles, salad, baked cheese sticks
Tue - grilled chicken, baked potatoes, two veggies, a homemade bread
Wed - Sesame Chicken, fried rice, pot stickers, stir-fry veggies
Thu - baked chicken, potatoes, 2 veggies, a homemade bread
Fri - pizza, salad
Sat - nachos
Sun - fried chicken, rolls, 2 veggies, fried potatoes

For more meal plan ideas, check out OrgJunkie!

"Don't Forget Breakfast Cookies" - Disney: The Magic Kitchen Cookbook
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 3/4 c white whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat graham flour)
3 c multi-grain cereal flakes w/ blueberries (I used one with no berries)

1) Preheat oven to 350. Coat cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2) Put butter in mixing bowl & beat with mixer for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar & soda; beat until mixed. Add eggs; beat until mixed. Add flour and beat until mixture no longer looks dry. Use a wooden spoon to stir in cereal.
3) For each cookie, pack the mixture into a 1/4-c measuring cup. Use a spatula to scrape it out onto the cookie sheet. (I made smaller cookies, using a melon-baller sized ice cream scoop.) Press mound of dough with your fingers to flatten it slightly. Place cookies about 3" apart.
4) Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Makes 12 (1/4 cup) cookies.

"Disappearing Chocolate Chip Cookies" - Disney: The Magic Kitchen Cookbook
1 c rolled oats
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c plain low-fat yogurt (I used vanilla)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c miniature semisweet chocolate pieces (about 6 oz)

1) Preheat oven to 375. Put oats in a shallow baking pan, bake for 10 minutes until toasted, stirring once with a wooden spoon. Using a food processor, process oats until ground.
2) Beat butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, soda, & salt. Beat until combined, stopping occasionally to scrape sides. Ad yogurt, eggs, & vanilla and beat until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. (I was able to mix in all of the flour and oats with the mixer.) Stir in the oats and any remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces.
3) Drop dough by rounded teaspoons (I really love my melon baller.) onto an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving about 2" between cookies. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms are browned. Makes about 60 cookies. (Yup, I got about 5 dozen.)

Opinions wanted, please!

2011-12-01T08:54:00.001-06:00

We always give the girls a gift on Christmas Eve. Most of the time it's an ornament, last year it was stocking holders. This year it's stockings.

I wanted the stockings to reflect each individual person while still "matching". I spent an hour at Hancock's looking around, and in the end James was the hardest to find something that matched the rest of us. In fact, I just couldn't find anything I though he would like that went super well with the others. SO, I ended up having to change a detail. I had planned on the main part of the stockings being dark blue with the lining being the different material for each person. I ended up changing that to black, which I was on the fence about as I bought it but am now happy with. After all, I want our stuff to be unique (duh, that's why I'm making it), and how many people have black stockings?

From right to left, we have James, me, Kelcie, Kairi, Cady, and the last bit of a bolt that I just HAD to have because I liked it though I had no clue what I'd make with it.

Anyway, I was ironing all the material this morning and realized how super thing the black is. How plain it is. It needs something...I dunno, texture? Then I remembered I had some black and dark brown burlap remnants. The burlap would totally give it texture! I've been wanting to make a tree skirt, too, and I've really liked the ruffled ones I've seen - including some in burlap. I could make a skirt and include a black burlap ruffle to tie it to the stockings. I could use stuff I have left to make ornaments, and oh I could use the brown on the back of the music material to make ornaments, too!

THEN I remembered the fat quarters I won a while back. I could use the burlap with them to make more decorations (ornaments, pillows, whatever) and tie them in, as well. Maybe find a green or red or blue or all three colors of burlap?

Can you see it in your head like I do? Am I crazy? Do you think it'd look cute or just weird?

Meal Plan Monday - 11/21

2011-11-21T20:09:00.001-06:00

Perhaps while it's still actually Monday? oops...

What worked last week:
Garlic Roll-Ups - Use this recipe instead of store-bought.
Buffalo Chicken Bites
Parmesan Roasted Potatoes - add about 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes and extra oil. YUM

Breakfast:
Mon - Cinnamon Sugar Bread, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Tue - cereal, milk, egg, fruit
Wed - pancake, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Thu - cinnamon rolls, milk, fruit, egg
Fri - poptart, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Sat - oatmeal, milk, nuts, fruit
Sun - Waffles of Insane Greatness, bacon, eggs

Lunch:
Sat - Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
Sun - leftovers

Snack:
Mon - cereal bar, milk, nuts, fruit
Tue - Cinnamon Sugar Bread, string cheese, nuts, fruit
Wed - crackers, milk, nuts, fruit
Thu - n/a
Fri - popcorn, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit
Sat - 1/2 sandwich
Sun - fruit

Dinner:
Mon - Parmesan Chicken, Olive Garden Breadsticks, salad
Tue - Chicken Enchiladas, refried beans, rice
Wed - Buttermilk Chicken Strips, Buttermilk Mac & Cheese, peas, carrots
Thu - Turkey Day Stuff
Fri - Pizza Bites, salad
Sat - frito pie
Sun - Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, peas, corn

For more great meal plans, visit OrgJunkie!

Meal Plan Monday - 11/14/11

2011-11-13T19:56:00.001-06:00

Hi again! We had a GREAT food week last week! I've been making at least one thing I found on Pinterest almost night, and lots of it went over very well! I have also definitely decided that I will continue to post the links to what we liked from the previous week rather than to what we'll try the coming week. I just feel like I should be able to give an honest recommendation, ya' know? So, anyway....

Here's what we liked from last week:
30-Minute Rolls - so soft
Sesame Chicken - absolutely delicious! I could eat this for days!
Caramel Popcorn - my husband and his friends devoured it. I don't care for caramel and still loved it. Then I drizzled chocolate over some and was in heaven!
Southern Biscuits - I used 3 tsp baking powder and rounded tablespoons of shortening, then shaped it into a rectangle & cut 12 squares.
Southern Cornbread
Homemade Oreos - I will never buy Oreos again. Ever.
Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders
Meatloaf - This was so good that my husband - who doesn't care for meatloaf - was scraping the pan with his fork. :)
Cinnamon Almonds - Cady declared these absolutely perfect.

This week:

(We're working out the kinks in our new routine around snack-time, so there will be write-ins for a bit.)

For more great menu ideas, check out OrgJunkie!

Sewing Frenzy...

2011-11-08T19:21:00.000-06:00

I went on a sewing frenzy a couple weeks ago. Not only did I take care of a basket of mending that went back years, but I took care of a project I've been wanting to start on for months!

The best part: they're reversible!!

Meal Plan Monday

2011-11-07T10:44:00.000-06:00

Here's what went over well last week:
Crispy Cheddar Chicken
Apple Bars
Texas Roadhouse Rolls (tasted fabulous even though they didn't rise 'cuz of my yeast)

Chicken Empanadas - Let me tell you about these. I have two children who don't like "Mexican Food". They like quesadillas, "soft tacos" with sour cream & cheese, refried beans, and taco meat on the side. THEY LOVED these chicken empanadas. I actually have a Mexican food recipe they'll eat!!!

I made something from Pinterest!!! I've been wanting to make one of these for a while, so today I just DID. I had bought the frames to use as earring holders, but just never really got into it or even moved my earrings over. Today, they are are hanging happily near my fridge. Once I'm certain that I'll keep up with it, I'll switch to some prettier paper.

Be sure to check out more meal plans over at OrgJunkie!

Peacock Costume Tutorial

2011-11-06T15:21:00.000-06:00

Materials for skirt:
4 yards of tulle (more or less depending on desired skirt fullness)
2" wide elastic to fit waste, plus 3" overlap.
2x3" square of cardboard - thin enough to fit through sewing machine without breaking needle
5 long peacock feathers
hot glue gun
hot glue sticks
sewing machine
thread

Ok...hopefully this'll all make sense. I got 4 different colors of tulle, 1 yard each. Fold 1 yard of tulle in half long-ways and cut down the fold.

Fold in half long-ways again, again cutting down the fold. You should have 4 long pieces. Save one piece from ONE of the yards and set aside before moving on to the next step - this will be used for a bow in back.

Next, fold in half short-ways and cut on the fold.

When you get done, you should have 30 short pieces and one long piece.

Now you need to sew the elastic waist-band with a 3" overlap. Use about 1/4: allowance from each end of the elastic, then along the sides to make a rectangle.

Sew your cardboard piece onto the overlapping section of elastic - just on the edges.

See how thin it is?

This part is hard for me to explain, so hopefully the pictures help. Fold a piece of tulle in half, then lay it on the table.

Place the elastic on top, then pull the ends of the tulle through the loop created by the fold, so it forms a kind of loose knot around the elastic.

If you're using different colors like I did, you'll probably want to figure out a pattern.

You may find it easier to pull the long piece of tulle through all the loops after you're done. I didn't - after the first four loops, I threaded the long piece through and made the rest of my knots with it already in place, then centered it when the rest of the skirt was done.

Once you have all your loops on, it's time to warm up the glue gun and figure out how you want to position the feathers. Figure out how high up you want them to come from the bottom of the waist-band, then cut off the excess. You could use more feathers, but you'd need to widen the overlap and cardboard on the elastic.

Put 2" of glue at the back-bottom of the middle feather, then stick it between the elastic and cardboard. Make sure that the front of the feather is facing away from the cardboard.

Repeat with the remaining feathers, working from the middle out. When you have all the feathers glued to the cardboard, fold down the elastic and add more glue.

Once it's all dry, she can try it on. Center the long tulle and tie a bow over the cardboard in the back.

*note: I didn't like the way the feathers branched out when I got done - didn't think they were separated enough. I haven't been able to get a good picture, but I took another small piece of cardboard and glued each feather to it about 6 inches up from the waist to force them to spread a bit more and stay that way.

Headband materials:
Small peacock feathers - amount depends on fullness
Headband

I totally forgot to take any in progress pictures of this, but it's pretty simple. Figure out how you want the feathers to look from the front - spacing, layers, etc - then glue layer by layer. Once they're dry, glue from the back to the headband. The one I got had a little bit of ribbon wrapped in one spot, so I was able to tuck the end in there. If yours doesn't have it, you could easily add some.

So, there you have it! One peacock. :)

I Made a Stocking! and Look What I Won!

2011-10-26T16:23:00.000-05:00

I've been planning to make one for a while, even had the material to try out how I thought I should make it. Then, thanks to my new Pinterest addiction, I found a pattern here. I made the pattern bigger than hers, and though it's still not as big as I'd like, I'm happy with how it turned out.

What do you think?

I also recently won a Christmas fat quarter bundle over on Spring Water Designs. It came in the mail a couple days ago! Aren't they pretty?

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them just yet. Stockings crossed my mind, but LOTS of things have, so I'll have to think about it. :)

Halloween Decorations this year...

2011-10-18T18:26:00.000-05:00

Just for fun...

Carving the Pumpkin & Playing in the Rain

2011-10-16T19:48:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, we ran across a pumpkin patch while looking for the Russell Stover's Outlet. I gave Kairi & Cady the choice to either pick outtwo smaller pumpkins or one big one. I was pleasantly surprised when they chose one big one. :) I also let them pick out a tiny pumpkin each and also one for Kelcie since she couldn't come with us.

Last weekend, we set about to make our Jack O'Lantern.

"EW! It's so gross!"

No kiddin'? Silly girl...she dug in just the same, though. Cady thought it was gross, too, but had no problems sticking her hands in.

I let them design the pumpkins face(s). I again gave them a choice - either each of them could design a whole face for the pumpkin or they could each do half of the face. Again, they chose to share and each do half. They then proceeded to highly overestimate my pumpkin carving abilities. After I explained the need for modifications, this is what we had:

Our little fake candle doesn't put off much glow, but the girls were pleased. He now resides in our window, until such time that he is too moldy and we have to do a new one b/c we got excited and started too early, lol.

Of course, we also had to have pumpkin seeds. I've never made them before, but I thought they were pretty good.

When they got done, it started raining...my monkeys had to go play in it!

Halloween Costumes!

2011-10-15T15:48:00.000-05:00

I can't wait. I know I SHOULD wait, at least a little while, to post about the girls' costumes, but I just can't. I am so happy with how Kairi's came together so easily and SO proud of how I did on Cady's!

Just in case you can't tell, Kairi is a baby doll.

Yes, I know the dress is insanely short and no, I'm not insane. See? Bloomers.

She even has a pacifier. :D

Cady is a peacock. I saw one on Brown Paper Packages and just KNEW it was perfect for her!

Blurry side shot...

Her headdress. We were thinking mask at first, but I didn't want her face covered and didn't really think she'd keep it on, anyway.

I even remembered to take pictures in process so I could do a tutorial!

Necklaces I Made & Random Candids

2011-10-05T18:46:00.000-05:00

Saturday night was spent jewelry making with my family. Here's what I made:

These are just some pictures of Kairi & Cady my mom sent me:

My birthday!

2011-09-22T20:16:00.000-05:00

Today was my birthday. :) Not only did I break my chocolate/soda fast (6 weeks, 3 days, btw), but I had a pretty great day.

My gifts:

Kairi made me a flag that says "29" on one side and "happy birthday" on the other. Cady made me a mask with a note attached that says "my mom is calm my mom likes to song my mom likes to ?"

The kids also gave me cds, 2 from Evanescence and the other from The Pretty Reckless. As soon as the new cd from E comes out it should be on my doorstep. :) I also have 2 tickets en route to their upcoming concert!!!

My cake:

Meal Plan Monday - September 12, 2011

2011-09-11T18:50:00.001-05:00

Oops...I totally missed last week!

I always try to include both tried & true meals and new recipes for my family. If my menu doesn't inspire you, check out the original Organizing Junkie's Meal Plan Monday for tons more ideas from her and others!

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Breakfast	Toast	Cereal	Waffle	Cereal	Poptart	Oatmeal	Pancakes
	Yogurt	Milk	Milk	Milk	Yogurt	Milk	Milk
	Nuts	Nuts	Peanut Butter	Nuts	Nuts	Nuts	Bacon & Eggs
	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit

Lunch	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Not Home	Baked Potatoes
							Salad

Snack	Cereal Bar	?	Graham Crackers	Crackers	Popcorn	1/2 Sandwich	Fruit
	Milk	Milk	Milk	Milk	Yogurt	Yogurt
	Nuts	Nuts	Peanut Butter	Nuts
	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit

Dinner	Slow Cooker Ravioli	Fajita Chicken Salad	Baked Chicken Caprese	Meatloaf	Tacos	Nachos	Chinese
	Cheesesticks	Cheese Quesadillas	Baked Potatoes	Mashed Potatoes			Egg Rolls
	Salad		Vegetable	Vegetable

Recipe Review - Jello Cake

2011-09-11T18:50:00.000-05:00

I'm sure I'm way behind the times with this one...but I've honestly never made a jello cake before! Actually, I didn't make this one, either. :D My girls made it, though I did mix the jello into the boiling water.

All 3 girls kept asking for more, James likes it, I like it, all of his friends seem to like it. It's super easy, too! I definitely recommend a jello cake for a quick, fun, yummy treat.

Jello Cake

Recipe Review - Buttermilk Baked Chicken

2011-09-03T14:37:00.001-05:00

Really, can there be a BAD buttermilk recipe? I haven't found one before...

Notes:

I was only able to soak my chicken for about an hour.

Reviews:

Cady: A hit.

Kairi: Another hit.

Kelcie: Three hits!

Hubby: He like it!

It was so yummy. We had it over salad, and it was simply fabulous.

To summarize, I will definitely be adding this recipe to my rotation.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

Recipe Review - Lady & Sons Chicken Pot

2011-08-31T19:19:00.000-05:00

MMM, chicken pot pie...I'm looking for a recipe that is consistently a hit here...

Notes:

I cooked my onions & garlic in butter before starting on the butter/flour step.

Reviews:

Cady: Did not like.

Kairi: She said she liked it, but she only ate a couple bites before she "got full".

Kelcie: Liked it.

Hubby: "Baby, will you pick me up a burger, please?"

I found it extremely bland and was super disappointed.

To summarize, I will not be making this again unless I can figure up a way to add

quite a bit of flavor.

Lady & Sons Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe Review - Saturday Chicken

2011-08-30T19:30:00.000-05:00

I'm a flake...this is just a version of Campbell's creamy chicken & rice bake. I didn't even realize until I was making it. Oh, well...

Notes:

I used one can cream of mushroom and one cream of chicken.
I used just over 1# of chicken, not 6 breasts.

Reviews:

Cady: Did not like.

Kairi: It was good.

Kelcie: Wants me to make it again.

Hubby: Too much gravy, not enough chicken. (probably b/c of the amount I used) Too rich.

I thought it was fabulous. It was not too rich for me at all. I am still eating gravy (great with noodles & rice, by the way), so I know I made too much considering the amount of chicken I used.

To summarize, I will totally make this again, if nothing else for me to have for lunch during the week. I think it is much better than the Campbell's version.

Saturday Chicken

Recipe Review - Baked Oatmeal

2011-08-30T19:21:00.000-05:00

Baked oatmeal...who knew? Always ready to try something new, I decided to give it a whirl.

Notes:

I chose to use white sugar instead of brown sugar. We use brown in our oatmeal sometimes, but our preference is white so I went with it for the new version.
I halved the recipe because I only needed 3 servings.

Reviews:

Cady: Too "crunchy".

Kairi: Too chewy.

Kelcie: Didn't like it.

Hubby: Doesn't eat oatmeal if he can help it.

It tasted great, just like it does when we make it on the stove, but it seemed like there wasn't enough liquid. It came out more like individual oats poured into a bowl than oatmeal. It wasn't crunchy, but it was super chewy all around. I would have preferred more of a creamy consistency with a bit of chewy thrown in rather than the other way around.

To summarize, I will not make this recipe again as it is. I am considering trying it again with quick oats. I'll be sure to update if I do. :)

Baked Oatmeal

Recipe Review - Crunchy Garlic Chicken

2011-08-30T18:47:00.000-05:00

Breaded chicken - there are SO many different ways to make it, and different coatings to use. It's pretty much a sure bet that even my pickiest eaters will eat it, though, so I like to try variations of it on a fairly regular basis.

Notes:

I didn't have enough saltines in the open sleeve and didn't feel like opening another, so I used Ritz Garden Vegetable crackers to flesh it out.
I used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic (I was out of fresh or even jarred).
I also didn't have lemons or parsley.

Reviews: (I promise to try harder to remember to actually ASK my children for their opinions!)

Cady: Food was GONE.

Kairi: Food was GONE.

Kelcie: Food was GONE.

Hubby: He said he really liked it except that the bottom was soggy...after further discussion, we realized this could have been from his carrots, b/c his was the only one with a soggy bottom.

I thought it was delicious, perfectly crispy and flavored.

To summarize, this is definitely going into my rotation. MMMMMMM

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

Menu Plan Monday - August 29, 2011

2011-08-28T18:02:00.000-05:00

I am so behind on my recipe reviews...I'll try to work on that this week, I have 3 or 4...

Anywayz, here's the menu for the week!

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Breakfast	Peach Bread Muffins	Cereal	Waffle	Cereal	Poptart	Oatmeal	Pancakes
	Yogurt	Milk	Milk	Milk	Yogurt	Milk	Milk
	Nuts	Nuts	Peanut Butter	Nuts	Nuts	Nuts	Bacon & Eggs
	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit

Lunch	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Hot Dogs	Baked Potatoes
						Chips	Salad

Snack	Cereal Bar	Muffins	Graham Crackers	Crackers	Popcorn	1/2 Sandwich	Fruit
	Milk	Milk	Milk	Milk	Yogurt	Yogurt
	Nuts	Nuts	Peanut Butter	Nuts
	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit

Dinner	Spaghetti	Chicken Bread Bowls	Chicken Pot Pie	Buttermilk Baked Chicken	Burgers	Buffalo Wings	Chinese
	Cheesesticks	Salad		Mashed Potatoes	Chips	Fries	Egg Rolls
				Vegetable

Recipe Review - Chicken Kabobs with Grilled Onions

2011-08-24T19:16:00.000-05:00

My children - the younger two at least - are picky. They rarely eat chicken unless it's fried, which I flat-out refuse to do too often. I thought, hey...chicken on a stick. Not a new concept, but not something I've given the girls before. I decided to hunt for a good marinade flavor.

Notes:

I was out of real garlic, so I used powdered - 1/4 tsp for each clove.
I put chunks of sweet onion on the sticks with the chicken rather than grilling green onion.

Reviews:

Cady: Ate every bite. I'm not sure if she liked it or she just liked it on the stick, but it was devoured and that's good enough for me.

Kairi: She didn't like it. She ate one bite and that was it.

Kelcie: She wants to know if we can have it again.

Hubby: He didn't taste it before using barbecue sauce on it. Oh, well.

I liked it, but it seemed to be more suited for Asian food, which isn't surprising given the ingredients. I ended up putting barbecue sauce on mine, too, because the flavor just didn't quite go with my baked potato & salad.

To summarize, I'll be making this again, but with a different style of meal in mind. Chicken fried rice sounds good. :)

Chicken Kabobs with Grilled Onions

Menu Plan Monday - August 22, 2011

2011-08-22T18:55:00.001-05:00

AH! I nearly forgot!!

The kids are back in school, so unless my hubby is home I pretty much eat whatever's in the fridge during the week.

I highly recommend the Applesauce Muffins. I make them ALL THE TIME. Kids love them, coworkers love them. They are so moist and yummy. The recipe itself is for a couple loaves, but I change it to muffins and bake for 25 minutes.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Breakfast	Applesauce Muffins	Cereal	Toast	Cereal	Poptart	Oatmeal	Breakfast Tacos
	Yogurt	Milk	Milk	Milk	Yogurt	Milk	Milk
	Nuts	Nuts	Peanut Butter	Nuts	Nuts	Nuts
	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit

Lunch	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Nuggets	Pulled Pork Sandwiches
						Fries	Chips

Snack	Cereal Bar	Muffins	Graham Crackers	Crackers	Popcorn	1/2 Sandwich	Fruit
	Milk	Milk	Milk	Milk	Yogurt	Yogurt
	Nuts	Nuts	Peanut Butter	Nuts
	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit

Dinner	Chicken Parmesan	Tamales	Chicken Kabobs	Crunchy Garlic Chicken	Pizza	Saturday Chicken	Chinese
	Noodles	Chili Sauce	Baked Potatoes	Baked Potato Fries		Mashed Potatoes	Egg Rolls
	Cheesesticks	Refried Beans	Salad	Vegetable		Vegetable

Haircuts! Befores & Afters

2011-08-21T20:30:00.000-05:00

Today, we decided we all wanted our hair cut short.

Kelcie was with biomom when hers was cut, so the before isn't from today.

Kairi:

Cady:

Me:

Kairi & I are hoping our hair qualifies for Locks of Love.

Recipe Review - Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2011-08-20T15:44:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite places to eat is P.F. Changs, and I can't go there without getting the lettuce wraps! I found this recipe one day while looking for some new chicken recipes.

Notes:

I did not use the basil. Somehow, I forgot.
I only had one tablespoon of lime juice left.
I only used 1/2 of the jalapeno - I didn't want it to be too spicy for the kids.
I used chicken that I had cut into small pieces instead of ground chicken. After I cut it up, I poured the seasoning mixture into the container, stirred it up, and let it soak in for an hour or so.

Cady: Flat-out refused to try it. The cat likes it, though. :P

Kairi: Gone. Quickly. Just...gone.

Kelcie: Devoured...like she was famished, but she shouldn't have been. I'd have to say she liked it.

Hubby: Please don't make this again.

I liked it. I liked it a lot. I will be making this recipe again, on a night when he's not going to be here for dinner or perhaps on a Monday to have for my lunches throughout the week. Either way, this was a winner for me.

To summarize, this did NOT taste like PF Chang's version. It also does not have all of the other stuff mixed in that theirs does, nor did we have any of the mix-your-own sauce that I like to put all over it when I'm there. However, it is yummy in it's own way and definitely worth a try if you like Asian-inspired meals that are quick and easy.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Recipe Reviews - Tangy Barbecue Chicken and Baked Potato Soup

2011-08-20T15:06:00.000-05:00

I like making my own barbecue sauce. I've only done it twice now, but I am slowly looking around for a favorite recipe. Homemade barbecue sauce makes me feel good...it just tastes better to me than the bottled stuff (and, trust me, I <3 the bottled stuff!).

I've also been wanting to make some baked potato soup for a while. Up to now, I've only had the mix-kind at home. I think it's the best invention EVER. I mean, it's just one more way to eat a baked potato - but you get to say it's something DIFFERENT.

Notes:

Really, the chicken review is about the sauce. I didn't make my chicken the same way they did, but of course that doesn't change the way the sauce tastes. :)
My sauce didn't thicken. I have lots of problems getting things to thicken when I cook them, so it was most likely my fault. ;)
I added about 4 oz of shredded cheese while the soup was cooking. I love cheese.
I left the skins on my potato chunks, because I like skin.
It says "one can of evaporated milk". I presume this means a standard size can.

Cady: She didn't eat chicken, but she doesn't care for barbecue sauce, so...she doesn't count. haha She did eat about half of her soup, which is an excellent sign because she's really not an adventurous eater.

Kairi: She ate her chicken. She also doesn't care for barbecue sauce, so this is a good sign. :) She devoured her soup and then had seconds. 'Nuff said.

Kelcie: I actually had her make the sauce. I totally believe in teaching my kids to cook. She said it was good. She's only recently decided she likes BBQ sauce. She wanted seconds, but Kairi already had them.

Hubby: He ate the chicken and there were no requests to lose the recipe. That's a thumbs up. On the soup, he said it seemed a bit bland and maybe we should nix the potato chunks, or at least make them smaller. They were pretty small to start with, though. For him, it was one of those recipes we could work with.

I liked the sauce. It tasted perfect to me, a nice mild sauce suitable for anyone who wants the flavor and no bite. I'll use it on my hot dogs for lunch tomorrow. I nearly loved the soup. Like James, I thought it could use a little more flavor. Unlike him, I liked the chunks.

To summarize, both of these will be on my menu again. I may try to add some bite to the sauce and will try to add a bit of flavor to the soup.

Tangy Barbecue Chicken

Baked Potato Soup

8/24/11 - Update: James asked me tonight (while we were using the sauce on our chicken kabobs) where I got the recipe and if it was hard to make. He likes it! :D

Randomness: Why I Sort my Children's Clothes

2011-08-18T11:47:00.000-05:00

I sort clothes. Nothing major, just lights and darks. I know lots of people don't even do that. There's no right or wrong way, to each his own. However, I have come to realize that in my house, even if you don't care about lights mixing with darks...and even if your children never stain their clothing...in my house, you'd better go through every single piece before you wash it.

Today is an excellent example of why. The reasons, in the order they came out of the basket, are:

Barbie Shoe
Blue Crayon
Papa Smurf
Tiny Blue Plastic Flower Bouquet
Piece of Paper with Poem Written by Kids

Quite a haul, huh? Good thing there weren't any pockets to check. Oh, FYI - if you leave pencils in your pockets and they end up in the dryer, they'll probably go through the lint grabber and make the fan stop spinning. If the fan stops, the dryer stops. Just thought I'd share. :)

Recipe Review - Grilled Quesadillas with Grilled Chicken, Tomatoes, & Onions

2011-08-16T19:42:00.000-05:00

We LOVE chicken quesadillas here. We used to eat them every 2-3 weeks, then for some reason Campbell's stopped making their Pepper Jack Cheese. I have since tried TONS of variations and recipes, all to no avail. Which brings me to today's review...

A couple notes:

Between the chili powder and the red pepper flakes, the chicken itself has a bit of bite. All you get once you have put your quesadilla together is flavor - no steam. If you want so spiciness, you should add more pepper.
I cooked my onion in margarine on the stove. I think this contributed a lot to my personal opinion of this dish.
I used fajita-size flour tortillas - we just don't care much for corn tortillas over here. :)
I used 10 tortillas for this recipe, which came out to five servings for us. I could've made more with the chicken, but I ran out of onion.

To the reviews!

Cady: She got to taste a bite of chicken before dinner, and requested hers on the side (she likes her quesadillas queso-only). The request and fact that she ate it is a thumbs up from her.

Kairi: She also got to taste the chicken before I put it all together. She requested one chicken, tomatoes, & cheese only and declared it DELICIOUS when she was done.

Kelcie: Will you make these again soon, please?

Hubby: He ate them and didn't ask me not to make them again, so that's pretty much a good sign.

I thought these were amazing. I nearly couldn't keep myself away from the chicken while I was cooking it, and when I ate my quesadilla it wasn't a bit dry and even had some juiciness. We had a bit of extra chicken, and it will make it's way into a scrambled egg breakfast in the morning.

To summarize, quesadillas are officially back in menu rotation!

Grilled Quesadillas with Grilled Chicken, Tomatoes, & Onions

Menu Plan Monday

2011-08-15T14:01:00.000-05:00

One of my friends, Becky #1, suggested that I put my menu on my blog. Everybody is always looking for meal-time inspiration, and I plan out my menu every week. I'm also always looking for things to blog about, because I would like to blog a lot more often. If I am posting a menu very week, that guarantees I am blogging once a week! Obviously, I decided she had an excellent idea. :)

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Breakfast	Banana Bread Muffins	Cereal	Toast	Cereal	Poptart	Oatmeal	French Toast
	Yogurt	Milk	Milk	Milk	Yogurt	Milk	Milk
	Nuts	Nuts	Peanut Butter	Nuts	Nuts	Nuts	Bacon
	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Eggs

Lunch	Nachos	Grilled Cheese	MYO Pizza	Soup	Sandwich	Hot Dogs	Fish Sticks
							Fries

Snack	Cereal Bar	Muffins	Graham Crackers	Crackers	Popcorn	1/2 Sandwich	Fruit
	Milk	Milk	Milk	Milk	Yogurt	Yogurt
	Nuts	Nuts	Peanut Butter	Nuts
	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit	Fruit

Dinner	Spaghetti	Grilled Quesadillas	Tangy BBQ Chicken	Pork Tenderloin	Tacos	Chicken Lettuce Wraps	Chinese
	Garlic Bread	Refried Beans	Baked Potato Soup	Macaroni & Cheese	Refried Beans		Egg Rolls
			Vegetable	Vegetable

Recipe Review - Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

2011-08-14T10:04:00.000-05:00

I've had this recipe bookmarked for months, and I FINALLY remembered to put it on the menu and make it. I'm not going to show you pictures because I didn't think to take any and the original blogger's photoes are SO much prettier than anything I could've taken.

I had some problems.

The pancakes weren't fluffy at all for me - this could've been a baking soda issue.
I bought some of those matching ketchup/mustard bottles to use, and even after snipping the tip the brown sugar kept getting stuck - I probably should've slightly whisked the brown sugar before adding butter to check for chunks.
I kept getting runny butter that wouldn't mix in out of the bottle before the thick stuff - maybe I didn't mix it quite right.
My griddle is a MESS from it all running out after I flipped it over - probably waited a bit too long to add it to the top.

That being said, here are the reviews of the house:

Kelcie: They were really good

Kairi: LOVE it!

Cady: I wanna have these EVERY. DAY.

I thought they were fabulous, too. This is one of those recipes where even if they don't come out quite right, they are still absolutely perfect because the looks don't make the taste. Nobody should worry that they "can't cook" well enough to make these.

To summarize: If you like cinnamon rolls, make these. If you like pancakes, make these. If you like sweet, ooey-gooey goodness for breakfast, make these. If you like food of any kind at all, make these!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Hot Fudge Pudding (aka, chocolate yummy goodness)

2011-07-30T18:33:00.000-05:00

I made this recipe today after going through some cookbooks. I tweaked it a bit from the original and it came out SO good. This is what I did:

Heat oven to 350*.

Blend in bowl:

1 cup sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa

Stir in:

1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Spread in a 9" square pan.

In a small bowl blend:

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa

Using your sifter, sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over top of batter.

Gently pour over all:

1 3/4 cup hot water

Bake for 45 minutes. Makes 9 servings.

My $3 Cupcake Stand/Platter

2011-07-23T22:25:00.000-05:00

2 nickel plated platters, 1 marguerita glass

Hot glue the bottom of the glass to the bottom of the top platter, then just set the glass in the desire place on the bottom platter. You could glue it, but I wanted to be able to move it around.

Piece of cake! Easy...fabulous? Meh...but it worked for a quick, cheap fix!

Gymnastics Pictures Came in!!!

2011-06-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Kairi & Cady had their pictures made at gymnastics by a professional guy....I'm so excited they came in!!

Six years...

2011-06-17T21:50:00.001-05:00

More sniffles...my Cadybug is 6!

Surprise visitor...

2011-05-31T17:55:00.001-05:00

The First Pool Tossing of the Summer!

2011-05-31T17:17:00.000-05:00

Taken with Kairi $30 video camera from Fry's, I might add. Much better than I expected!!

Kairi's Birthday Party...

2011-05-28T13:55:00.000-05:00

*sniff* My baby turned 8 last weekend.

All the kids on the trampoline at once...is it any wonder 2 of the springs broke off? I'll have to fix them before Cady's party. :)

I honestly don't remember who bought this, but it was a big hit with Kairi, Cady, and the few kids who stayed after the party to play with it. It's whack-a-mole that you hook up to the water hose.

The kids had so much fun...there were tons of gifts and laughing. It was simply awesome.

The cake didn't turn out quite like I was planning, but Kairi loved it...so I was happy.

So...here's my eight-year-old...

Chocolate Egg Rolls

2011-05-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

I made chocolate egg rolls...oh, they were yummy!! They're not made like egg rolls, but they LOOK like them, so that's what they're called. :D

Anyway, you need:

chocolate chips

croissants in a can

sugar

The steps:

1) Separate your croissant triangles. Place one on a clean surface that it won't stick to.

2) Flatten the triangle with the rolling pin.

3) Pour some chocolate chips into your hand.

4) Put some chocolate chips along near the largest edge, leaving about 1/2-3/4" on either side. You should also leave about 1/4" between the chips and the edge. I used about 20 chips. I forgot to take a picture of that part, sorry.

5) You may have some extra chips in your hand. These are contaminated and cannot go back in the bag. Sadly, you'll just have to eat them.

6) Roll the chips up like you would a croissant, then fold the ends over so there are no open spots.

7) Pour some sugar into a bowl. Roll the egg roll around in the sugar until it's covered.

8) Repeat for as many as you want.

9) Place the egg rolls on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 11 minutes.

See? They look like egg rolls!

Mmmmmm....

That brat...

2011-05-13T19:31:00.000-05:00

Cady cut her hair in school today. I am SO sick of her cutting her hair. So, I cut it shorter than she did. She won't be cutting it for a while.

It looks like she hates it, huh?

Yeah, obviously my punishment backfired. The moment she caught her reflection jumping in a mirror, she loved it because it bounces.

Brat.

*I'm gonna talk to the teacher Monday to find out how she missed this occurrence in class.*

Unexpected company...

2011-05-10T20:06:00.001-05:00

*shudder*

Family...

2011-05-08T21:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my husband, sister, and I took our mom and aunt out to lunch for Mother's Day. Fun times had by all. Unfortunately, since it is (of course) Mother's Day weekend, Kelcie couldn't be there due to spending the weekend with biomom.

My mom with Kairi:

My aunt with Cady:

My sister with Kairi:

Another one bites the dust!

2011-05-03T15:24:00.001-05:00

My girls...

2011-04-28T19:23:00.000-05:00

Latest development... :)

2011-04-26T19:10:00.000-05:00

Dresses! :)

2011-04-26T18:51:00.000-05:00

I finished these about 1 week and a half ago, but haven't gotten around to posting them. They're the dresses Kairi & Cady are wearing in the Easter pictures. It took me forever (and many calls to Mom) to make them, and they're not excellent, but I am SO proud of them!

Some hair pics, just for good measure. :)

Easter

2011-04-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

As the title indicates - EASTER PICS! :D

Easter morning, ready to get into the baskets. Cady thinks she's smiling, I promise! ;)

Ooo, Peeps!

Hey...how come there's different colors? And sticks?? (because the Easter bunny made "peep-pops"!)

Moving right along..."Look, bubbles!"

"See, we all got some!"

Hunting eggs...

They had an egg hunt at our cousin's last weekend, too.

How to "Blow Out" an Egg

2011-04-23T11:58:00.000-05:00

I searched the internet this morning to determine the best way to get the egg out of the shell without cracking it open. I tried everything I had the tools for, and I kept getting cracked eggs. So, I figured out my own way.

Tools:

Hammer

Head-pin (like for sewing)

Toothpicks

Wooden Skewer

1) Hold the head-pin on the narrow end of the egg and tap very lightly with the hammer until it pokes through. Make sure to pierce through the internal membrane.

2) Repeat step 1 with a toothpick, making sure to push through to about the widest part of the toothpick. (I had to switch to a new toothpick about every 6 holes or so.)

3) Flip the eggs over and repeat steps 1 & 2 on the larger end of the egg.

4) Using the wooden skewer, repeat the hammering process on only the larger end of the egg, again making sure to go to the widest part of the skewer. The holes will not be very big, but I promise they are big enough.

5) Using the skewer, poke into the egg and stir around (carefully) a bit to break up the yolk as much as you can. If you don't, you will not be able to blow it through the hole and could end up with a broken egg. (See below.)

6) Blow into the small hole to make the egg come out of the larger hole. I put all of mine into a container for scrambled eggs tomorrow. :)

7) Once you're done, clean out the eggs with water. I had to use the head-pin to hold the membrane out of the way for water to go in the larger hole. Shake the water around a bit, then blow out as you did the egg. Put the eggs in a safe place to dry.

There you have it! Doing it this way gave me 5 fabulous eggs, the 6th having been broken because I forgot to break up the yolk.

Absolutely Fabulous Strawberry Bread

2011-04-04T09:39:00.000-05:00

This is SO good.

The recipe is here: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/strawberry-bread/Detail.aspx

Instead of splitting mine into 2 loaves, I just used a bundt cake pan and baked for 1 hr 5 min.

Wonderful.

Chuck E. Cheese's...

2011-03-21T20:53:00.000-05:00

We went to a birthday part on St. Patrick's day for the girls' cousin. Kairi & Cady had a blast!

They played games...

Danced...

Got cake on their faces...

Overall, just a wonderful time! They actually chose to work together and pooled all their tickets so they could have the same amount. They would have shared a prize if there'd been one that was shareable and not more than they had.

I was proud of them. :) Now, I don't want to see the inside of a CEC for another year!

Today was fun!

2011-03-16T17:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Kairi asked me if she could bake a cake for Cady. Yesterday, I was to sleepy to function, so it didn't happen. I told her we'd do it today, though, and she did! Yup...I read to her how much to use, and she measured everything out and mixed it up and poured it in the pan. She also made frosting, with a bit more help than I gave on the cake. Both of these were from scratch!

Cady is not helping...she's just eating the frosting.

(it's a heart, by the way)

While she was playing in the kitchen, I had my own project. I made dresses for Kairi & Cady! These are the first thing I've made since their Halloween costumes for 2009, and I am SO happy with them. Granted, they were super simple...but I'm still proud! The girls were so excited about them, too.

I have two more dresses in process and a third planned. Two of those are far more complicated than what I did today, but the last is the same as what I made today b/c I had a little material left and will be done tomorrow. Once I get my hands on some fusible fabric, I'll be working on the other two again.

2011-03-12T18:25:00.000-06:00

Today has been a very busy day. I am trying to make sure there is nothing I am slacking on in my house. I won't go into details, but somebody told a lie about my husband. The police did not believe the person, but had to contact CPS anyway. Fun. Lots. REALLY. I don't know if CPS will contact us about it or not, but I don't want to be last-minute girl or caught-by-surprise girl, ya' know? Granted, there wasn't TONS to do. Just some extra stuff that I had on my "as I get to it" list and is now done.

Anyway, the kids are all behaving wonderfully. Kairi & Cady have been making videos and Cady wrote a "chapter book". They are now on my list to share here. Kelcie is in BIG TROUBLE for something she did this past week, and is reading Crime & Punishment and writing a one-page summary on every chapter. Because I am the meanest mom in the world, and I don't have anything else to keep her busy.

Anyway, I noticed it has been a while since I posted anything and thought I should give an update. Until next time...

Oh, yum!

2011-03-05T18:23:00.000-06:00

I've been reading "Knitting Mysteries" from Maggie Sefton. I really like them, and each one comes with a knitting pattern and a recipe in the back. I tried one of the recipes today. Guess what it was!

I'll give you a hint:

No? How 'bout now?

Yup! Blueberry pie! It was SO. GOOD. My sister in Louisiana has a fabulous recipe, too. It has whipped cream on top and is wonderful all by itself. This isn't it. This pie is good all by itself, too, but THIS is a la mode pie. So, on to the recipe!

"Ruth's Blueberry Pie"

Butter Crust Pastry

3 level cups of all purpose flour
2-3 tsp salt, as desired
2 sticks of butter, slightly softened*
12 Tbsp water**

1. Stir flour and salt together in a large bowl.

2. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture is course and crumbly. I use a pastry cutter ALWAYS because I used to use knives and it was such a pain. (*The actual recipe says the butter should be cold, but my pastry cutter started bending and it wouldn't really do anything.)

3. Stir in water with a fork until all of the pastry is moist. (**The recipe states 7-9 Tbsp, but this was just not enough for me. It wouldn't hold together at all.)

4. Split the pastry into two balls.

5. Flour the surface you'll be rolling on, the rolling pin, and your hands. Roll the crust out to at least 1-2" larger than the pie plate you are using.

6. Cut off any extra you end up with. I can't roll to a certain size to save my life.

7. Place the crust in the pan. I worry about things sticking, plus my pan is ugly, so I sprayed it first. I also cut off the overhang as soon as I had it in the pan. In hindsight, I should've waited until I had the top on to do that.

Pie Filling

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
dash cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated lemon rind (I had none, didn't use it)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 cups fresh blueberries
2-3 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon rind in a medium bowl.

3. Sprinkle lemon juice over blueberries.

4. Gently stir into mixture.

5. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Try to spread the non-blueberry part pretty evenly around the tin, too, not just the blueberries.

6. Dot with butter. Don't forget to do this part and then try to go back after you've put the top on - I promise, it won't be fun. :)

7. Roll your 2nd ball of pastry out about as big as the last one. Cut into strips so you can make your lattice-top. Lay a few strips in one direction, the start weaving others in the other direction in and out. This is kinda fun if you're not in a hurry, and it looks nifty (to me).

8. Line the outer edge of the pie with foil if you don't like the edges brown. Bake for 30-45 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly.

So good. I am stuffed and still having to talk myself out of another slice. I've had 4 small ones already today.

My babies love me...

2011-03-03T10:55:00.000-06:00

You can tell by the pretty flowers they picked for me yesterday. :)

FABULOUS BBQ Sauce!

2011-02-23T18:30:00.000-06:00

It's so good...I might eat all of the chicken tonight myself!! YUM!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tangy-barbecue-chicken-recipe/index.html

I have a confession...

2011-02-17T16:25:00.000-06:00

I like hair blogs. Lots. I have 3 girls, what's NOT to like about blogs dedicated to telling you nifty ways to do their hair?

So, here's what I've done with the girls' hair recently.

Cady's hair a couple weeks ago...

If you can't tell, it's a heart pig tail. The other side didn't come out as well, but that's okay 'cuz it was my learning day. Cady was NOT thrilled to be a guinea pig, though. She took it down as soon as I put up the camera.

Kairi's hair the same day.

I went all out with Kelcie's - 3 hearts with 3 different braids. Like I said, I was playing! :)

Weeks before that, I was playing again. Here's a modge-podge of Kairi & Cady shots.

And, Valentine's Day.

Now, I can't for the life of me remember which blog(s) I got these from. So, I'll just post the ones I follow. They all have EXCELLENT ideas!

http://www.cutegirlshairstyles.com/

http://www.babesinhairland.com/

http://cute2tryhairdos.blogspot.com/

http://www.girlydohairstyles.com/

http://www.princesshairstyles.com/

Randomness...

2011-02-01T11:08:00.000-06:00

The girls went to a birthday party this weekend at McDonald’s & an ice rink. I think they had fun…don’t you?

At the beginning of January, I let the girls plant stuff in egg cartons. Wanna know what we planted? You’ll just have to wait and see!

There's that life thing again! (and) Christmas!

2011-01-31T14:43:00.000-06:00

See...that's what happens when you don't put stuff on your "to-do" list. Guess what? I'm PUTTING the blog on my list. Why didn't I do that sooner? 'Cuz I'm a flake...and it didn't occur to me. Never fear...it is there now. Every day. It's in my afternoon routine. I would be LOST without my routines.

The last half of last year was busy! I was working a part-time job, instilling my routines into my subconscious, AND taking 7 classes. I got three As and four Bs, just in case you were wondering. :)

Now, on with the important stuff. The next few days will be filled with back-dated stuff, so bear with me, okay?

Christmas…was great! The kids had a blast everywhere we went.

At my Grandmother’s house, Cady got to color with one cousin…

…while Kairi played Connect 4 with another…

…and Kelcie picked up my sister-in-law!

At my sister’s house, there was patient waiting…

…until Kairi passed out presents…

Cady was less than thrilled with the gift of an orange…

…and my sister modeled the book wreath I made for her. (Idea found here.)

Of course, there was fun at home, too!

Stocking holders I made – I got the idea from here.

The week after Christmas, we finally got around to making gingerbread houses with Kairi’s BFF.

Life...

2010-08-18T13:00:00.001-05:00

I need to update more often...I really mean to, I promise! I just...don't get to it! At any rate, here's what I've been up to:

Work. I started working at UPS, remember? So I am SO tired. Always. I'm also ALWAYS hungry. I think that part of the reason I am so tired is because I'm not eating enough. I've gone down 3 belt loops, though. Loosing loops is always happy. :)

I've registered for school, and I am taking 7 classes. Math, Biology, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Accounting, Intro to Computers, and Spanish. Work reimburses for school, so I pretty much just have to pay for books - which is going to cost as much or more than the classes! How completely dumb is that, I ask you?

No job leads so far...I do search every week, whether I want to or not. I am required to to get my unemployment benefits. However, there simply haven't been any nibbles.

My girls and I are all super excited about starting school on Monday. Cady is ready for kindergarten, Kairi can't wait to see her friends again in 2nd, and Kelcie is raring to go for middle school. Me? I'm just happy to be in school again. I could happily take at least one class for the rest of my life. I'd really like to have a degree, though. I am majoring in business at the moment.

My house is still staying pretty well company-ready. I like having a clean house. :) There are still some spots that need a little extra attention, but I'm getting there bit by bit. My main focus right now is to get my paper clutter taken care of before school starts, specifically the kids' school papers.

I have a couple arts & crafts projects going, as well. I'm making my sister a scarf for her birthday, and working on a learn-to-knit pillow. I'll make sure to post pictures when they're done. :D

My Favorite Peach Bread Recipe

2010-08-16T12:18:00.000-05:00

1. Plan to make banana bread...every day...for a week...but never do it.
2. Finally decide to make it now that the bananas are good and ripe. Mix together all banana bread ingredients in a bowl, dry & wet, except for banana.
3. Go to peal bananas and realize they're no longer ripe - they're moldy.
4. Throw out bananas.
5. Steal kids' leftover peaches, drain, throw in the chopper and go to town.
6. Toss in with banana bread mix, adding applesauce because there wasn't enough peaches to completely replace the banana.
7. Bake as banana bread recipe indicates.

Life is Good.

2010-07-29T11:12:00.000-05:00

Let me try this again…

I had three other posts, but I decided to delete two of them and start fresh, as my life has recently basically started fresh. I kept the 3^rd one b/c it’s a yummy recipe. :D Consider this my, “Hi, nice to meet you!” post.

I was recently laid off from my full-time job of 4 years and 4 months. They said they felt my position was no longer required. Two days after signing my severance papers – stating I would not sue them for wrongful termination now or in the future – so that I could get my severance pay, they posted my position on CareerBuilder. Wasn’t that nice of them? I was mad, but quickly over it and now content myself with the fact that my last day was June 4^th and they re-posted the position last week, so they’re still looking. I do feel badly for my old coworkers, though…they didn’t ask to have crappy new management thrust upon them and then lose their reporting person.

At any rate, now I am on unemployment. I recently started working at UPS, also, which my body is having issues adjusting to on this 2^nd week of 4+ hrs a day of loading trucks. I’ll get there, though. I lost a whole loop on my belt in just the first week. Yea!

I have three children, three beautiful girls, that I am ecstatic to now basically be a stay-at-home-mom to. My house is looking better than it has in years thanks to the time I now have to devote to it and FlyLady.net. (Living in CHAOS? You should TOTALLY check it out!) I am losing weight thanks to working at UPS, and I will also be able to get some more schooling done. I will be able to go on class field trips with the kids and school parties. I am…..happy! It is kinda stressful to have the money concerns, but we’re getting by and doing well. So far the girls haven’t had to quit their extra-curricular activities. Life is good.

Fruit & Yogurt Smoothies

2010-01-14T20:17:00.000-06:00

Ya' know how Yoplait has their new Frozen smoothies, usually in the juice section of the store...well, they're over $3 for 2 servings...*sigh*

These are a perfect knock off...same consistency and every thing.

Ingredients:

6 oz Frozen yogurt chunks - I use vanilla and freeze them in tablespoons over night.

1 cup frozen fruit - I use strawberries. Tried blueberries once, and it was ok, but I'm not a big blueberry person

1 cup milk

Blend it all together and enjoy!